


silent reverie

by InkCaviness



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Growing Up, Non-binary character, Oisuga Week, Other, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-13 06:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5699254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkCaviness/pseuds/InkCaviness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a child Tooru was fascinated by the stars shining far above on an endless canvas of darkness. He used to sit on his bed right underneath the window for hours, staring up into the night sky and tracing constellations with his fingertips pressed against the glass.</p><p>When he lay in bed he could still look out of the window and watch the stars so far, far away. They always seemed unattainable and yet their light was familiar, soothing when everything else went black.</p><p>EDIT 2018: sorry this fic will probably never get finished...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. wishes

**Author's Note:**

> so! this is gonna be my entry for oisuga week and hopefully i can update every day (however i /still/ haven't done my 200 pages assigned reading for german class this wednesday so i apologize in advance if i might a bit late!)
> 
> all prompts for oisuga week can be found [here](http://oisuga-week.tumblr.com/post/134858528674/oisuga-week-2016)! the first prompt i used is "wishes"!
> 
> furthermore i'm actually not 100% sure where i'm going with this yet, i've got a general outline which maybe still change! therefore the rating will most likely change as the story continues and i will add more tags and characters!

As a child Tooru was fascinated by the stars shining far above on an endless canvas of darkness. He used to sit on his bed right underneath the window for hours, staring up into the night sky and tracing constellations with his fingertips pressed against the glass. Every night at exactly half past nine his mother would shuffle in, wrapped in her fluffy, pink bathrobe with her hair loosely hanging down onto her shoulders. And every night she’d smile at him in the same way, tired but her eyes filled with love, and she’d tuck him into bed. As she would lean forward to press a goodnight kiss to his forehead her hair would sweep over his nose, tickling a breathy laugh out of him.

 

When he lay in bed he could still look out of the window and watch the stars so far, far away. They always seemed unattainable and yet their light was familiar, soothing when everything else went black.

 

-

 

Three weeks and two days before his seventh birthday he sits alone in his room, his blanket pulled up over his head to shield him from whatever may be out there, hiding in the shadows. The house sits quiet and for the first time in his life he feels lonely. He wants his mother to come kiss him goodnight the way she used to but she hasn’t been home for bedtime in over a week, not with the nightshifts at the hospital that weigh her down. The last time he’d seen her she’d looked even more tired than usual, jet black circles etched into the soft skin underneath her eyes and yet she’d just smiled at him and asked how school was.

 

He throws a glance at the battered, old cellphone sitting on his nightstand and remembers his sister telling him to call anytime he feels lonely. For a moment his fingertips twitch with temptation but then he grits his teeth and pulls his hand back to twist the blanket between his shaking fingers. Wrapping the cover tighter around his quivering body he looks up at the stars and wishes, with all his might, for a friend. He wishes and wishes, his eyes screwed shut as tightly as he can but when he opens them again his room is still as empty as it was before. Throwing one last glance at the stars he hopes that maybe, against all odds, someone out there will hear his pleas. He drifts off to sleep still curled up in the corner of his bed and falls into restless slumber.

 

Hours before daybreak a soft shining light rouses him from his sleep and he sticks his head out of his blanket pile with half closed eyes. They immediately snap wide open at the sight of a small figure kneeling in the middle of his room. The air hitches in his throat in his throat as he scrambles backwards until his back hits the wall. His first instinct is to scream but he stops when the figure doesn’t move. With wide eyes he watches as they sit still for another moment and he takes a deep breath, two, three, four; then the figure slowly lifts their head. Light brown eyes stare straight at Tooru and the moonlight makes them shine even in the dark. Feathery, silver hair frames a round face speckled with light freckles and underneath their left eye is a dark mole, stark in its contrast to their pale skin. They must be about his age, Tooru thinks, and yet he doesn’t think he’s ever seen a child like this.

 

“Who…” He starts to speak but his voice breaks. The sudden sound seems to startle the stranger, making them draw back a little and hunch their slender shoulders.

 

“Who are you,” he tries again and this time the words still come out shaky but audible.

 

They stare up at Tooru in apparent confusion, leaning their head to the side a little before their gaze moves down to the hands in their lap. Slowly they turn them, experimentally curling each finger inward and tugging at their pure white nightgown.

 

“Koushi.” Their voice is tentative, testing out each sound and turning it over on their tongue. “Sugawara Koushi.”

 

That’s all they say before falling silent again, as if those words explain everything and, somehow, Tooru feels at ease. He knows he shouldn’t, not with a stranger sitting on his neon green carpet, but can’t help but feel relieved about not being alone anymore.

 

“Oikawa Tooru.” He blurts out his name before clamping his mouth shut again and quickly looking away. There’s a strange fluttering in his chest he can’t quite describe but it reminds him of his mother’s gentle smile. When he turns his head back the stranger is looking up at him with the beginnings of a laugh tugging at the corners of their mouth.

 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Their grin is broad and brighter than any smile Tooru’s ever seen. When they suddenly move to stand Tooru sees something flutter behind their back and a moment later a pair of light grey wings, downy and probably too small for flying, unfurl to stretch over their shoulders. They take a shaky step forward as if they aren’t sure their legs will really carry them and their white robe falls just past their knees.

 

Tooru slowly lowers the blanket he was holding pressed against his chest and beckons Sugawara to come closer. With wobbly knees they make their way towards the bed and plop down on the edge. Their eyes almost seem to sparkle golden as they look up at the stars outside the window. Then they lift one hand as if to reach out for the windowpane but instead they just spread their fingers and let the starlight shine through them.

 

“That’s where I come from. “ Their voice isn’t louder than a whisper and Tooru would’ve missed it entirely if the room wasn’t so eerily quiet. Suddenly Sugawara closes their fist and brings their hand back to rest against their chest. When they turn back to Tooru there are no traces of wistfulness in their eyes, only the childlike curiosity that Tooru himself is all too familiar with. “But that doesn’t matter now; I’m here to find something after all.”

 

They could be an alien, Tooru thinks, or quite possibly some kind of angel. Right now he really doesn’t care though, they only thing on his mind is that maybe, just maybe, the stars actually heard his pleading.

 

“What are you searching for then?” Tooru and folds his hands together to keep them from shaking with barely contained excitement.

 

Sugawara grins at him again with that smile that could possibly melt steel and when he finally replies there’s a mischievous lilt to his voice.

 

“A friend, of course.”


	2. postcards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go!! this is the second day of oisuga week and the prompt was "postcards"!
> 
> i'm actually slowly figuring out where exactly i'm going with this so i hope you enjoy this chapter!!

After school Tooru walks home with Iwaizumi, the same way they’ve done it since kindergarten, chattering and skipping along the sidewalk filled to the brim with energy. Their ways separate in front of the old bakery just down the street where Iwaizumi has to go left and Tooru right. He shouts his goodbye with an excited wave and runs the rest of the way until he stops, panting, in front of his house. Summer is slowly coming to an end but the last flowers in their garden are still blooming, covering the front yard in a patchwork of white and orange behind a white fence. Their house is small, nestled tightly in between its two neighbouring buildings but it glows in a welcoming cream colour and Tooru quickly catches his breath before stomping up the stairs towards the entrance. Rummaging through his backpack he pulls out a keychain. It takes some fidgeting to get the lock to spring open but with a soft click the door gives in. Inside Tooru hangs his keychain on the little hook right next to the door that his mother put there specifically for him. He can’t help but huff his chest a little, proud of the fact that he already has his own key even though he’s barely seven.

 

He checks that the door is locked one last time before he pulls off his shoes and exchanges them for a pair of fuzzy, dark blue slippers that are scattered with little stars and spaceships. Then he shuffles into the kitchen to grab two apples off the counter. He has to stand on his tiptoes to reach them and hope yet again that he will finally hit a growth spurt even though he secretly loves the little yellow stool his mother gave him so he could reach the kitchen sink. He glued glow-in-the-dark aliens to it and across the top his name is written in his mother’s best handwriting.

Carefully holding onto the apples he makes his way up the stairs to his room at the far end of the hallway. It’s unmistakably his, the door plastered with stickers and photographs of anything that makes him happy, ranging from his grandmother’s dog to a family picture taken the last time his sister visited. When he pushes the door open the first thing he sees is Sugawara sitting in the middle of his room. Most days they’re here already when Tooru comes home and on the days they come a little later they always makes sure to bring Tooru some of the milkbread he loves so much. Still, whenever Tooru asks where they went all they do is press a finger to their lips and whisper that the stars have important business for him to attend.

 

Today though Sugawara doesn’t immediately look up when Tooru walks in. Instead they’re focused on something in their hands and when Tooru walks closer he realizes that it’s a tattered postcard with an endless jungle of skyscrapers pictured on it. For a moment he’s caught in confusion before he recognizes the chickenscrawl writing on the back of the postcard. Then an excited grin spreads across his face and he plops down next to Sugawara to peer over their shoulder. Before he can say anything Sugawara turns their head slightly to look at Tooru, their eyes wide with curiosity.

 

“What’s this,” they ask and shake the postcard before looking back at it, seemingly lost in the picture of the vast city.

 

“It’s a postcard,” he exclaims and leans forward to snatch it out of Sugawara’s hands, “My sister travels all around the world and she always sends me things!”

 

Sugawara’s lips form a perfect o-shape as he stares at the postcard. “Places like that exist on earth?”

 

Nodding vigorously Tooru shows him the postcard again and points at the letters printed in the corner.

 

“This is from New York,” he explains, “It’s far far away and my sister promised she’d take me one day!”

 

Sugawara’s face is still struck with awe and with a grin Tooru gets up and reaches up to his desk. He returns to his friend holding a purple metal box. After sitting down again he opens it and pulls out a bundle of letters and postcards held together by a pink hair tie he borrowed from his mother.

 

“Here,” he says and fans out the postcards on the carpet, “These are all the ones my sister sent me!”

 

He looks on as Sugawara slowly ghosts their hands over the postcards, examining each and every one carefully.

 

“I want to go to all of these places,” they say and in their excitement even the wings on their back shake and shift restlessly. They’re not wearing their white robes anymore; instead they borrowed an old pair of sweatpants and a faded Star Wars t-shirt from Tooru.

 

“We will,” Tooru reassures them, “And in a few years we can go together!”

 

At that Sugawara’s smile brightens even further and they quickly nod their head. Tooru grins and leans against Sugawara as he points at one of the postcards in the middle of the pile. It shows a marble statue that seems intimidating even on a photograph but there’s a swarm of ordinary grey pigeons picking at it’s feet.

 

“See,” Tooru starts, “That one’s from when she went to Rome last year!”

 

Like this he talks until the sun starts to set, the stories of all of those far away places slowly turning into great tales of adventures the two of them would surely go on one day.


	3. summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "summer"! i'm slowly moving towards an actual plot here but for the most part it's still just fluff

The summer heat hangs heavy over the city, making any kind of movement almost unbearable and Tooru resorts to spending his days in the small kiddy pool in his backyard. Iwaizumi left for the holidays, gone to visit his grandmother halfway across the country. At least this way Tooru doesn’t have to deal with his best friend’s snide remarks and eyerolls whenever he complains about the insane heat. Surprisingly Sugawara doesn’t seem fazed by the temperature in the least although they prefer lazing around in the shadow instead of joining Tooru in the pool. Although they gained a few more freckles under the blazing sun their skin miraculously didn’t turn the colour of freshly picked tomatoes the way Tooru’s did. Even layer and layers of sunscreen don’t stop the obvious tan lines on his neck and arms and one time, at the very beginning of the summer, he made the mistake of falling asleep in the sun with his glasses on. The resulting shapes around his eyes had made Sugawara double over with laughter, wheezing each time they looked up again.

 

He’s learned from his mistakes and by now, almost halfway through summer break, he’s taken to putting up a parasol next to the pool. Leaning back he stretches out his legs and stares up into the endless blue sky, void of any clouds to bless them with some rain. Sugawara is sitting on the lawn next to the pool, their wings spread over their head to keep away most of the sunlight. Over the years they’ve grown and their wings are now large enough to wrap around their body, soft grey feathers dappled with white and black spots. Tooru is sure that by now they must be big enough to carry Sugawara up into the air but they’ve never offered to demonstrate it and Tooru won’t ask. He hit a growth spurt last winter and he’s slowly getting used to his 14 year old body with gangly arms and legs. He’s already fighting to keep his coordination steady during volleyball and he doesn’t even want to imagine what navigating a pair of wings twice the lengths of his arms would feel like.

 

Tooru cranes his neck to look at Sugawara who’s wearing a large, floppy sunhat and a dress with floral print that falls just past their knees. He’s not quite sure where they get their clothes from, at least not the ones that aren’t Tooru’s own and he knows for sure that neither he nor his sister have a dress like this. Ever since they’ve first met questions over questions have begun to pile up in Tooru’s mind but they almost never slip past their lips. Where did you come from? Where do you go when you aren’t with me? Why don’t you go to school, why do you refuse to meet Iwa-chan, why do you never come to visit when mom is home?

 

Who _are_ you?

 

“Why don’t you come into the pool, Kou-chan?”

 

He never asks any of those questions even though their nagging at the back of his mind. Maybe some part of him is still simply grateful that the stars heard his wishes. Maybe he’s just too afraid of what the answers could be.

 

“The water is so nice, you should try it out!”

 

He shoots Sugawara his most charming smile, the one that they’ve probably already grown immune to the same way Iwaizumi has. At that they look up at him but they’re already shaking their head. With a swift roll of their shoulders they readjust their wings and throw him an apologetic look, their eyebrows pulling upwards and their lips stretched into a small smile.

 

“It’ll just soak into my feathers,” they say and Tooru musters their wings before he decides that for now that explanation is good enough.

 

“You know, you’re a spoilsport, just like Iwa-chan!” He drawly the words lazily and end them in a high-pitched whine before letting his head fall back and looking at Sugawara upside down. “If you two ever meet you’re gonna make my life hell.”

 

That finally makes Sugawara break out laughing, the sound ringing through the garden clear as bells. They’re even prettier than usual when they’re laughing, Tooru muses and the thought immediately makes his face heat up. You’re not supposed to think that about your best friend, he tells himself but he quickly banishes the thought and files it away for later together with all the other questions bothering him.

 

“Oh, I sure hope I’ll get to meet him,” Sugawara gets out between pearls of laughter, “Anyone who can deal with you for so long deserves my respect.”

 

Tooru sticks his lower lip out in a pout and scrunches up his nose. “You’re so mean,” he whines, “Just like Iwa-chan!”

 

“Now I _definitely_ think I have to meet him,” Sugawara continues with a grin. They have these kinds of conversations a lot and yet whenever the possibility arises for Sugawara to meet Iwaizumi they suddenly remember they have to go. At first Tooru thought it was a coincidence but by now he can’t quite believe in that anymore.

 

He’s just about to answer when he hears the entrance door fall shut door followed by the sounds of his mother moving through the house. He made sure to leave the backdoor open but when she calls for him her voice is still muffled.

 

“I’m here,” he yells back, “In the garden!”

 

When he turns back to where Sugawara was sitting he’s not surprised to find the spot empty. They leave whenever Tooru’s mother comes home and he tries not to be bitter about it. Seconds later his mother appears in the doorframe that leads out into the garden. She’s still wearing her work clothes and her shoulders are sagging as if heavy weights drag them down but she still smiles when she sees Tooru.

 

“I can make dinner today,” he offers and moves to get up and climb out of the pool but his mother stops him with a shake of her head.

 

“It’s okay,” she said, “Yahaba-san gave me some leftovers, I just need to warm them up.”

 

Tooru remembers the old lady who lives a little further up the street. Her grandson’s a year younger than Tooru but he’s seen him around the school a few times.

 

“Are we eating now?” It’s barely five in the afternoon but when his mother comes home she’s usually tired and hungry but today she shakes her head.

 

“I ate lunch late today,” she says, “So you can stay outside a little longer.”

 

Tooru watches as she turns around and walks back inside before he slides deeper into the water until only his eyes are above the surface.

 

He wishes he could see the stars during the day so maybe he could ask them where Sugawara went but this way all he can do is wait and watch the time pass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always happy to see kudos or comments or if you want to you can even message me on [tumblr](inkcaviness.tumblr.com)!


	4. retro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here i am again with day 4 of Oisuga week!(actually it's past midnight here already but shhhhh)  
> Today's prompt was Retro and I kinda...took that prompt pretty loosely but oh well i hope you enjoy this anyway!

Tooru twirls in front of his mirror and his jacket flutters a little when he turns back to Sugawara. They’re sitting cross-legged on his bed, wings folded behind their back, and when Tooru spreads his arms to show off his new uniform they hide a grin behind their hand. He still can’t quite believe that he’s in high school now even though, technically seen, classes don’t start until Monday.

 

“It’s so cool,” he exclaims with a broad smile and gestures down at the clothes. He made sure that the tie sits properly and his sweater isn’t rumpled although he hadn’t gotten around to ironing the trousers yet.

 

Sugawara nods but they can’t help laughing at Tooru’s awestruck expression. “It’s a bit old fashioned, isn’t it?”

 

Tooru huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Well,” he says with a stern look at Sugawara clad in a pair of sweatpants that are far too baggy and yet only reach down to about the middle of their calves, “you can’t really talk about fashion.”

 

The trousers have a brown plaid pattern and maybe even he has to admit that it’s not exactly the most modern design but that’s to be expected from the kind of school that Aoba Jousai proclaims to be.

 

“Also,” he continues, unfazed by Sugawara rolling their eyes, “it’s sort of retro so it’s cool again, right?”

 

Sugawara leans back on the bed, a soft smile on their lips. “Sure,” they say, “If you say so.”

 

Their tone is light but there’s a bit of a teasing lilt in their voice that makes Tooru frown and pout a little. With a huff he sits down on the bed across from Sugawara, carefully folding his legs under his body to avoid rumpling the trousers further.

 

“Why aren’t you going to school anyway?”

 

He realizes those words were a mistake the second they leave his mouth but he hadn’t even really thought about them, they’d just been there sitting on his tongue for a while now. Immediately the smile drops from Sugawara’s face, replaced by a frown, guarded and tense. They seem to draw back a little, hunching their shoulders and curling their wings around themselves as if they’re trying to shut Tooru out. Tooru takes a steady breath and, even though he knows he should just drop the topic, should just apologize and pretend he never said anything, he goes on.

 

“You never go to school and you never meet any of my friends.” His voice grows louder and louder with each word and the tension between them is slowly starting to become suffocating. Sugawara turns their head a little, his eyes refusing to meet Tooru’s but he’s starting to talk himself into a frenzy and finally all those questions that had been piling up in his mind for years are tumbling out.

 

“I don’t even know who you are.” His desperation is bleeding into his words and he leans forward a little, his hand reaching out to touch Sugawara’s shoulder but when they flinch away he drops his hand. There’s a lump in his throat now and he tries to swallow it down, tries to breathe around it but it sits heavy in his chest. “I don’t know who you are or where you came from. I don’t know why you disappear whenever mom comes home or why you _never_ talk about yourself.”

 

He can feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes but at least Sugawara’s still there. Tooru clings to the hope that maybe he’s not about to ruin the most important friendship in his life but the way Sugawara’s expression has turned cold as ice makes Tooru’s breath hiccup. He should stop now, he should wait until Sugawara’s ready to answer his questions but he’s been holding all of them in for far too long by now.

 

“This isn’t normal, Koushi. It’s not normal to leave all of this unquestioned.” His desperation is turning into anger and he clenches his fist before drawing back to put some distance between himself and Sugawara who’s completely locked up by now. Their eyes are dark and turned away from Tooru and he just itches to get a reaction out of them, _any_ kind of reaction.

 

“I don’t even know what you _are_! You aren’t normal, none of this is and I’m sick of pretending it is just because I’m too fucked up to let go of this friendship!”

 

By now tears are streaming down his face from anger and fear and everything else that’s been turning into a stone in his chest.

 

“Please just talk to me, Koushi! I need you, you know I do, but I don’t even know if you’re _real_ anymore! I don’t know what you are or where you came from but I _need_ to know!”

 

He’s shaking and his voice I hoarse and trembling and when he speaks again it’s barely audible.

 

“You aren’t human, are you? So what are you?”

 

At that Sugawara finally looks at him again but their face is completely unmoving, lips pressed together into a tight line.

 

“You know nothing,” they spit out, their voice void of any emotion. Tooru feels as if he’s been punched in the face although he doesn’t think any punch could hurt as much as this, could hurt as much as seeing his best friend turn away fro him.

 

He tries to blink the tears out of his eyes and when he opens them again Sugawara’s gone without a trace. Tooru’s left sitting alone on the bed in a room that seems to big and too small at the same time and the uniform is itching on his skin but there’s nothing left for him to do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm always happy about comments, no matter how short they are!!


	5. bad habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo, this is actually the prompt for Friday which was "bad habits" but it's 3:30am on sunday now and my vision's starting to go a little blurry so I sadly can't finish saturday's prompt today...

Since his first year of high school Tooru’s taken to spending his nights awake and restless and even now in college he still wanders the streets for hours and only returns home in the early hours of the morning when the sun’s already starting to peek over the horizon. The circles under his eyes have become almost as permanent as the bruises on his knees and his arms and he’s more used to the glow of the streetlights than the lamp in his own room. This aimless wandering#s become sort of a bad habit that keeps him stitched together.

It’s a cold winter night and he’s wrapped in a coat to keep out the biting wind. Even though he pulled up his scarf to cover half of his face the frigid air still stings like tiny needle pricks on his skin and his breath comes out in white clouds as he trudges along the street. A thin layer of snow covers the ground, just enough to make the parking cars glitter in the moonlight. He has his hands buried in his pockets but the night is still cold enough to make him shiver. The only reason he’s even out tonight instead of rewatching volleyball games on his laptop is the sky. Not a single cloud is anywhere in sight and the stars shine clear on a canvas of obsidian black. The streets are deserted except for the occasional person who passes him in a hurried stride, longing to finally get home.

 

Tooru feels like a child again, alone in a house that seems far too big and cowering under his blankets out of fear. It’s never been that dark that he’s afraid of but the loneliness that comes with it and he used to think the stars could keep him company but ever since Sugawara disappeared looking up at the night sky just makes his chest ache.  It’s been almost four years since then and he still can’t get rid of the hope that _maybe_ they will show up again.

He pushes the thought away and thinks about getting him where he can curl up on the couch and watch bad conspiracy theories on TV. As he turns a corner he hunches his shoulders and picks up his pace, looking down at the pavement under his feet. That way he doesn’t notice the figure lurking deep in the shadows of an alley leading away from the main road. He trudges on, oblivious to the black tendrils curling around his ankles and when a hand clamps down over his mouth his first instinct is to scream but the sound is immediately muffled. He struggles and kicks, tries to throw his attacker off but it doesn’t work and instead he’s dragged back into the alley. Between the tall buildings looming on either side it’s too dark for him see more than vague movements but he still pushes and pulls, desperate to get away.

 

A burst of white light blinds him and even when he screws his eyes shut and tries to back away it still blinds him and makes streaks of tears run down his cheeks. At the same time the hand on his mouth suddenly falls down and his attacker’s grip loosens. Tooru takes his chance and pulls away as he stumbles forward, blindly searching for his way out of the alley.

 

“Run,” someone shouts right next to him before a hand closes around his arm and drags him forward. “Come on, run!”

 

Something about the voice seems familiar, almost bittersweet, but Tooru can’t place it in that moment. Instead he complies and moves with whoever’s still pulling him away from the shadows. The blinding light slowly ebbs away and Tooru carefully blinks the tears out of his eyes. When he finally opens them again the shadows have been replaced by the yellow glow of the streetlights. The breath hitches in his throat when he catches a flash of silver hair and when he sees the wings, soft grey and brown and by now bigger than the rest of Sugawara’s body, he almost stops running.

 

“No,” Sugawara yells when Tooru slows down, “Keep running!”

 

The panic in their voice is overwhelming and Tooru swallows down the questions that burn on his tongue and continues running. They turn a few corners before Sugawara stops just in front of a 24 hour grocery store that Tooru sometimes stops by. He glances in through the window to see the usual cashier staring at them. She looks bored and lowers her gaze back to the magazine in her hands as if she couldn’t see Sugawara’s giant wings or the faint golden glow that lingers around them.

 

“She can’t see you, can she,” is the first thing he rasps out and Sugawara blinks at him in confusion before they spot the cashier.

 

“She can’t see the wings,” they quickly explain before grabbing Tooru’s shoulders, their fingers digging into his shoulders. “You need to run.”

 

Tooru immediately shakes his head and furrows his brows. “What just happened?”

 

Instead of giving a reply him a reply Sugawara slides their hands up to the back of Tooru’s head and pulls him forward until their foreheads are touching. Both of them are breathing in quick pants and Sugawara’s breath ghosts over Tooru’s lips when they start talking.

 

“I can’t explain this now,” they start, “but I need you to stay safe. Don’t go back to your apartment, please.” They stop talking for a second, pulling down the corners of their mouth in a frown before they continue talking. “Does Iwaizumi live around here?”

 

Tooru nods without asking how Sugawara knows they’re still friends.

 

“Good,” they say, “You need to go to his house tonight, you can’t stay alone.”

 

“What about you,” Tooru asks, desperation bleeding into his voice.

 

“I have to leave again,” they say and bite their lip, “but I promise I’ll be back.”

For a second they hesitate, then they curl their fingers into Tooru’s hair and lean up a little to quickly press their lips together. Tooru is too stunned to move and by the time his brain catches on again Sugawara’s already pulled back.

 

“I promise I’ll be back,” they say before they turn around and vanish in a flutter of feathers.


	6. date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been about 5000 years and of course oisuga week is long over buuut i'm back with day 6! i took the prompt "date" very loosely ehhh

Luckily Iwaizumi doesn’t ask any questions when Oikawa shows up at his doorstep in the middle of the night, panting and worked up without explaining why. He just wordlessly lets him in and puts out a blanket and some pillows for him before going back to bed. Oikawa’s left sitting alone in the living room in complete darkness. There’s no way he can just fall asleep now but there’s nothing he can do right now. Every fibre in his body is screaming at him to move, to run back out into the night and search for Sugawara. Oikawa closes his hands into fists, his fingernails digging into the soft skin of his palms. Gritting his teeth he tries to swallow down the frustration but it’s burning in his throat like acid. He doesn’t manage to sleep at all that night, instead he sits crosslegged and wide awake until the first rays of sunlight start to creep in through the window. His eyelids feel heavy and the shadows under them are probably even darker than they were the day before but he can’t really bring himself to care. It’s almost 7 am when he finally gets up, his limbs stiff from sitting in the same position far too long. The tiles are freezing cold under his bare feet as he trudges to the kitchen and starts up a pot of coffee. He’s just sitting down with a steaming cup of coffee when Iwaizumi comes stumbling out of his bedroom, still in pyjamas and barely awake. When Oikawa greets him he only gets a grunt in reply but Iwaizumi manages to pour himself a cup of coffee as well and sit down at the table across from Oikawa. They sit in silence for a while until Iwaizumi has finished his drink. He sets down the mug with a dull thud and looks up at Oikawa. With a heavy sigh he runs a hand down his face and presses his eyes shut for a second.

 

“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on,” he finally asks. He sounds tired but the worry in his voice makes Oikawa’s stomach twist up painfully. He can’t meet his friend’s eye and instead stares down at the tabletop. Chewing on his lower lip he thinks over what to say but before he can try to explain himself Iwaizumi continues.

 

“This isn’t something new, is it? Something’s been bothering you for quite some time.”

 

It’s not a question; Iwaizumi certainly isn’t expecting an answer and so Oikawa just looks to the side. There’s a tiny window in the kitchen but all it shows is the wall of the neighbouring building. Cold grey.

 

“You don’t have to tell me what’s going on but I want to know that whatever it is you can talk to me about it.” He takes a deep breath and looks up. “Whatever it is, I believe you.”

 

At that Oikawa’s head snaps around. Iwaizumi’s eyebrows are drawn together but he doesn’t look angry.

 

“Thank you,” Oikawa whispers and a small smile spreads over his face.

 

“Always,” Iwaizumi replies quickly.

 

Oikawa takes a shaky breath to steel himself. “I can’t tell you everything yet,” he starts, “but there’s a person I thought I’d lost a long time ago. And I met them again last night.”

 

“The kid with the silver hair,” Iwaizumi muses. Oikawa’s eyes widen in surprise. “You used to hang out with a silver haired kid, right? I remember seeing you two together a lot but then one day they just vanished.”

 

Oikawa nods slowly. “Koushi. Sugawara Koushi. They saved me today.”

 

Iwaizumi turns the mug in his hands. “But they left again. And you want to find them.”

 

They stay silent for a moment. “I’ll help you find them,” Iwaizumi says, determination resonating in his voice, “It can’t be that hard, right?”

 

Oikawa snorts. “I’ve been looking for them for almost ten years.”

 

“Well yeah but you were never the best at finding things,” Iwaizumi replies with a toothy grin.

 

An hour later they’re bundled up in Iwaizumi’s warmest coats as they search streets of the city. Even now during the day only few people are out and about and the wind’s picked up. At some point during the night it must’ve started snowing again because in some areas they have to wade through almost knee high piles of snow. Around noon Iwaizumi drags Oikawa into one of the few cafés that are open despite the snow. As soon as they step inside the warm air makes Oikawa’s skin tingle and he’s glad to get out of the heavy coat. They sit down close to the window so they can still keep an eye out for Sugawara while they eat.

 

“I don’t know if this is going to work,” Oikawa confesses his concern and takes a sip of his steaming hot tea.

 

“Well,” Iwaizumi drawls and there’s something close to a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” His eyes are fixated on something behind Oikawa who almost drops his tea with how fast he turns around.

 

Sugawara is standing in the middle of the café, their wings torn and almost dragging on the floor. They stare at each other for what seems like an eternity before Sugawara takes a step towards their table.

 

“Hello Tooru,” they say, tentative, almost scared.

 

“Koushi,” Oikawa breathes out.

 

Sugawara tilts their head to the side a little and miles softly. “Yes. I’m here to,” they hesitate, their eyes flickering over to Iwaizumi briefly, “I’m here to explain myself.”

 

Iwaizumi is already halfway out of his seat when Sugawara finally really looks at him. “But it seems like this is not the best time,” they try to smile but it comes out strained, “I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.”

 

Oikawa blinks in confusion and Iwaizumi snorts out a laugh. “Don’t worry, “he says, “I have a boyfriend so you certainly aren’t interrupting anything.”

He gets up without another word and walks past Sugawara towards the exit. He doesn’t seem to notice their torn clothes or their dishevelled wings but he lightly nudges their shoulder with his left hand and throws them an encouraging grin before walking out. The door falls shut behind him and the little bell above it jingles brightly.

 

“So,” Oikawa says and holds Sugawara’s gaze, “What’s going on here?”

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on [tumblr](http://inkcaviness.tumblr.com)!


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